Absolutely magical (Central Park in general)

Member Name: aylawarner

Product:	Central Park in general
Date:	25/03/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of things to see and do, beautiful park

Disadvantages: Huge park

On our recent trip to New York we were lucky enough to have some snow - well actually it was a snow storm and the worst snow they've had in years! But even though it was freezing and we could hardly walk properly due to all the layers of clothes we were wrapped in, Central Park covered in snow made you completely forget everything else. It really was so amazing and magical and I was glad of the freezing weather because we got to witness this. We walked through the park from the Downtown side and everything was just completely white. Everywhere kids were playing in the snow and riding in sledges down the hills and it really was truly amazing.

Inside the park there are plenty of things to do and see. Covering 843 acres and 6% of Manhattan, it's pretty huge. We were in the park for a total of about 2 hours and we only got about half way up and there were plenty of things we missed. The main attractions include the Wollman ice skating rink which is even lovelier to stake on in the snow; the Central Park Zoo where they keep 130 different species of animals including polar bears; the Bethesda Fountain, which I'm sure you'd recognise from many films and TV programmes; a Hans Christian Anderson statue; an Alice in Wonderland statue which is beautiful and so big that you can climb up and sit on a toadstool yourself; and Belvedere Castle which has some great views of the park and the city. There's a couple of arenas in the park were they hold shows in the summer and the Metropolitan Museum is actually in the park. The American Museum of Natural History and the Guggenheim Museum are just on either side of the park. From way inside the park if you look around you can see trees in front of you and then these huge skyscrapers standing tall behind them which makes for a lovely photo.

At the south end of the park a line of horse and carriages wait to take you on a trip through the park. We did this in the evening on my husband's birthday and from starting in the street full of noise and people, 2 minutes into the park it is so quiet and it's like there's a sound barrier blocking out all the noise just to make the trip more romantic for you. Walking tours can also be done around the park.

Central Park was designed in 1858 and it took 16 years to create. The park is very hilly and doesn't have much level ground so you're always going up or down hill. Apparently the builders of the park found it too difficult to make the ground level due to a lot of hard stone and rock so they left it this way but New Yorkers ending up loving it. The park stretches from Central Park South 59th Street to 110th Street at the northern end.

Central Park is a magical place to visit in New York and your trip isn't complete without one.

Summary: Just magical!